Northern governors yesterday warned that the region is on the brink of losing its future to worsening insecurity and deepening poverty unless leaders take urgent, decisive action.

They renewed the call for the establishment of state police as a necessary step to confront widespread violence and further demanded a six-month suspension of mining activities across the north.

Kaduna State governor, Senator Uba Sani, urged fellow governors and traditional rulers to close ranks and confront the region’s security crisis with sincerity and collective resolve.

The meeting held at a time residents of Tsamiya village in Shanono LGA of Kano State came under yet another attack, with bandits abducting 11 persons, including a nursing mother.

Also yesterday, Government Day Secondary School, Dutse, Abuja, was thrown into panic after students misinterpreted the arrival of soldiers for examination duty as a kidnapping attempt.

Meanwhile, the FCT Police Command said it had successfully foiled a planned mass abduction in an unnamed community within Abuja after its anti-kidnapping unit engaged bandits in a gunfight, killing three of them.

And in Niger State, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, reassured parents of abducted pupils and staff of St. Mary’s Catholic School, Agwarra LGA, that the victims were in good condition and would soon be reunited with their families.

Security experts, however, insisted that President Bola Tinubu must enforce the emergency he recently declared on national security for it to have real impact, saying mere proclamation was not enough.

“North Faces Grim Reality” — NSGF Chairman

Speaking at a joint meeting of the Northern States Governors’ Forum and the Northern Traditional Rulers Council in Kaduna, Chairman of the Forum and Gombe State governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, said the north is battling “the grim reality of insecurity and poverty that seek to undermine our very existence.”

The two-day meeting at the Kaduna Government House brought together 19 governors, first-class traditional rulers, security chiefs and civil society representatives.

Governor Yahaya said future generations would judge today’s leaders not by physical projects but by whether they succeeded in preserving a northern Nigeria future generations could call home.

He paid tribute to President Bola Tinubu, praising his leadership and commitment to Nigeria’s security and territorial integrity, especially in ongoing rescue efforts.

Yahaya extended condolences to families of abducted pupils in Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Kano, Niger and Sokoto states, and victims of Boko Haram attacks in Borno and Yobe. He described constant attacks on schools as “an assault on the region’s destiny.”

He urged leaders to reject divisive narratives, stressing that the crisis is driven not only by criminality but by deep-rooted issues — underdevelopment, illiteracy, poor resource management, climate change and millions of out-of-school children.

State Police Tops Agenda

Reaffirming its May 10, 2025 communiqué, the NSGF insisted that state policing remains “a critical and effective mechanism” for addressing today’s security challenges. The governors urged the National Assembly to accelerate constitutional amendments to achieve this.

They also urged:

Traditional rulers to use their influence to stabilise communities
Religious leaders to promote tolerance
Politicians to avoid exploiting ethnic or religious tensions
Security agencies to maintain proactive surveillance
The judiciary to deliver swift and fair justice

In a joint declaration, the governors pledged full collaboration with the federal government under President Tinubu to restore lasting peace and stability.

Uba Sani: Northern Leaders Must Close Ranks

Governor Uba Sani warned that despite pockets of success, insecurity in the north is increasingly being politicised by elements seeking to amplify fear and weaken public trust.

He praised traditional rulers for their stabilising role and reiterated his long-standing demand for state police, saying Nigeria’s centralised policing structure can no longer secure a nation of over 230 million people with vast ungoverned spaces.

“History will remember the choices we make in moments like this,” Sani said.

Traditional Rulers Back Governors

Speaking for the traditional institution, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, called for honesty, courage and unwavering cooperation among leaders.

“We are 100 per cent with you in this drive to make the north a better place, because we don’t have any other place to be,” he said.

Fresh Abductions in Kano

Chairman of the Faruruwa community security committee, Yahaya Bagobiri, confirmed that bandits stormed Tsamiya village around 7pm Sunday and abducted 11 persons, including a nursing mother.

Bagobiri lamented that security personnel failed to act despite receiving early warnings of the bandits’ movement.

The attack came hours after bandits invaded Yankamaye village, killing a woman and abducting three others.

Panic at Abuja School

Routine security deployment at Government Day Secondary School, Dutse, Abuja, almost turned chaotic after some students, gripped by fear from recent nationwide attacks, misinterpreted the presence of soldiers as kidnappers.

Students attempted to flee and even scale the fence before officials restored calm.

A staff member said the school invites security personnel during major examinations to maintain order.

Police Foil Planned Mass Abduction in FCT

The FCT Police Command said it thwarted a planned large-scale kidnapping after arresting a key conspirator, Sani Mohammed Umar (alias Boko). He was tracked through the phone used in coordinating previous attacks.

Based on his confession, police and army operatives ambushed the gang at Gada Biyu Hills, Kwali, killing three during a 30-minute gunfight. Several others escaped with injuries.

Niger Schoolchildren Safe — NSA

Visiting Kontagora, NSA Nuhu Ribadu assured that abducted pupils of St. Mary’s Catholic School were safe and would soon return home.

He expressed the President’s deep concern and vowed that government would no longer tolerate continued attacks on Nigerians.

Ribadu added that international partners — the US, UK, France and others — are supporting Nigeria to defeat terrorism.

Experts Split Over Tinubu’s Emergency on Insecurity

Security analysts across the north expressed divergent views on President Tinubu’s declaration of emergency on national security.

Sokoto Analyst: Measures Must Be Concrete

A retired military officer, Amadu Sokoto, said the declaration must translate into real action — deployment of special forces, drone and satellite surveillance, intelligence overhaul, border reinforcement and dismantling terror financing networks.

He said results would depend on political will and operational efficiency.

Taraba Analyst: Governors in Worst-Hit States Should Step Aside

Ben Adaji argued that governors in states overwhelmed by insecurity should temporarily vacate office and allow the military to run those states for six months.

Bauchi: Emergency Lacks Clear Scope

Retired ACP Mohammed Duku questioned whether the declaration grants enough powers to security agencies.

He warned that emergency declarations alone cannot end insecurity without addressing governance and socio-economic issues.

Adamawa: Implementation Is Key

Retired Colonel Clems Ekong described the declaration as positive but warned that without a holistic military strategy, it will not stop mass kidnappings.

Kebbi Expert Faults Declaration

Security analyst Mamman Bashar said Nigeria is not at war and emergency rule should involve full military administration, which the current declaration does not.

Niger State: Declaration Long Overdue

Dr. Abdullahi Mohammed Jabi of the IIPS said the move was necessary, particularly under increasing international pressure, including from US President Donald Trump.

He welcomed the plan to recruit 50,000 additional security personnel.